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Downing street 7th January, 1857. Sir, —I have laid before the Queen the Act passed by the General Assembly of New Zealand on the 7th May, 1856, intituled " An Act to provide for the retirement of certain Officers of the Executive Government," and which Act was transmitted with your despatch, No. 45, of the Bth of May, 1856, I have to inform you that that Act will be left to its operation. I entirely concur in the propriety of the course which you adopted in this case. The Legislature having left it to myself to fix (within certain limits) the amount of the pensions to be awarded, I had no other guide to follow than the precedent afforded by the proceedings of the Australian Legislatures on the like occasion. That of New South Wales gave the retiring Officers pensions equivalent to their full salaries ; that of Victoria, amounts varying from 4-sths to 3-4ths of their salary. I believe that the grant of the maximum amount by the Act now before me—that is, 2-3rds of the salary will most nearly meet the analogy afforded by the above mentioned laws, and lam therefore to signify to you Her Majesty's approval of that amount. I have &c, (Signed) H. Labouchere. Governor Gore Browne, C. 8., &c., &c. EXTRACT FROM A DESPATCH, DATED Bth MAY, 1857, No. 35. " With regard to the Act No. 1, 'To provide for the retirement of certain Officers of the Executive Government,' which was previously transmitted in your despatch No. 45, of the Bth May, 1856, and which you were informed in my despatch, No. 1. of the 7th January last, was left to its operation, I have to acquaint you that I have had under my consideration the Memorandum of your Resposible Advisers in explanation of that and of the other Acts of the Session, together with the report relating to it of the Select Committee of the House of Representatives which accompanied your despatch No. 93, of the 20th of September, 1856. ' „.,... " With reference to the Act No. 1 it is only necessary that I should refer you to the decision in res - pect of the amount of retiring allowance to be assigned under this Act contained in nry despatch above adverted to, as I have been unable to find anything in the proceedings of the Committee which appears to me to justify a different conclusion to that already arrived at." I have &c, (Signed) H. Labouchere. Downing street, Bth May, 1857. Sir,—l have received your despatch No. 99, of the 6th of October last, forwarding authenticated Copies of 36 Acts passed by the General Assembly of New Zealand during their last Session, to all of which you had assented in Her Majesty's name, with the exception of the Acts Nos. 26 and 34 which you reserved for the notification of Her Majesty's pleasure. I have to acquaint you that I submitted to The Queen the Acts of this series of which the numNos. 2, 3, 5, 6, dateg) an( j tit i og; w ;u be found in the annexed List and that they will be left to their operation. 15 \£ 18' 19' ' Wit& re g ar d to tne Act No - 1 ' "To P rovide for the retirement of certain Officers of the Executive 2oi 21, 23,' 24J Government" which was previously transmitted in your despatch No. 45, of the Bth May, 1856, and 27! 2s' t9, 30) which you were informed by my despatch No. 1, of the 7th of January last was left to its operation, I 33, &36. have to acquaint you that I have had under my consideration the Memorandum of your Responsible Advisers in explanation of that and of the other Acts of the Session, together with the report relating to it of the Select Committee of the House of Representatives which accompanied your despatch No. 93, of the 20th of September, 1856. ..... With reference to the Act No. 1. it is only ncessary that I should refer to the decision m respect of the amount of Retiring allowance to be assigned under this Act contained in my despatch above adverted to, as I have been unable to find anything in the proceedings of the Committee which appears to me to justify a different conclusion to that already ar.ived at. In connection with the Act No. 24 termed the " Privileges Act, 1856," I have also to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches No. 83 and 87 of the 22nd and 26th of August last, and I shalj